(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply device where a wiring harness is slidably arranged along a guide rail. The power supply device can be employed for example in a sliding door of a vehicle.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An exemplary conventional power supply device is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. For example, the conventional power supply device is disclosed in Japanese Publication of Patent Application No. 2001-354085. In detail, refer to FIGS. 4, 7, and 13 of the Japanese publication.
In FIGS. 6 and 7, the power supply device 50 is positioned on the sliding door 41 of a vehicle, and is shown to include a protector 42 formed of synthetic resin material and configured to receive a wiring harness 43, and a flat spring 44 capable of upwardly energizing the wiring harness 43 within the protector 42.
The protector 42 is comprised of a protective base (also designated as a reference numeral 42) and a protective cover (now shown). The protective cover and the protective base respectively have an opposing substrate 51 and a peripheral wall 52. The protective cover is engaged with the protective base, which is secured to the panel of the sliding door 41 by means of a bolt 56, a crimping means and so on. A circular harness winding section 54 for controlling the radius of curvature of the wiring harness 43 and the flat spring 44 are unitarily formed on the inner surface of the substrate 51.
The lower end of the flat spring 44 is secured to the wiring harness 43 as well as a harness fixing section 55 disposed in the protector 42. A cap member formed of synthetic resin and positioned in the front end of the flat spring 44 supports the wiring harness 43 in a stable manner.
During the wiring harness 43, there are provided a plurality of insulated electrical wires 43a, which are covered with a corrugate tube 43b formed of synthetic resin. In this construction, the front end of the corrugate tube 43b is secured to the harness fixing section 55 of the protector 42 by means of a fixing member such as tapes. The corrugate tube 43b has a good flexibility, which is because it has alternate circumferential convex and concave portions in its longitudinal direction.
The electrical wires 43a of the wiring harness 43 extend through the front portion of the protector 42, and then are connected to the accessory of the sliding door side. The corrugate tube 43b of the wiring harness 43 extends through an lower elongated opening 45 of the protector 42, then a space 46 (refer to FIG. 7), and then a fixture 53 of the wiring harness 43 side (also designated as a harness fixing section), which is positioned in a vehicle body 47, while holding its all freedom of movement. Finally, the corrugated tube 43b is connected to the wiring harness (now shown) of the vehicle body side by means of a connector. The protector 42 is covered with a door trim piece (now shown) formed with synthetic resin, and therefore is invisible. The wiring harness 43 extends through the opening of the door trim piece, and then the vehicle body side.
FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively illustrate the sliding door 41 in its fully closed position and fully open position. In its fully closed position, the wiring harness 43 is pulled in a rearward direction while being supported by the harness fixture 53 of the wiring harness 43. On the other hand, in its fully open position, the wiring harness 43 is pulled in a forward direction, and therefore is bent along the circumferential plane of the harness winding section 54, allowing for controlling the minimum radius of curvature of both the flat spring 44 and the wiring harness 43. As a result, both the flat spring 44 and the wiring harness 43 are prevented from undergoing excessive plastic deformation.
Under the condition where the sliding door 41 is partially open, while the wiring harness 43 is inclined to unroll in a downward direction, it is energized in an upward direction by use of the flat spring 44 and therefore the extra length of the wiring harness (i.e. the remaining length of the wiring harness) can be received. As a result, the extra length of the wiring harness 43 can prevented from being jammed. Immediately after opening, the sliding door 41 moves along a guide rail (now shown) while departing from the vehicle body 47 side.
Further, the power supply device 50 can be formed in a horizontal direction with respect to not the sliding door 41 but the vehicle body 47. Refer to the Japanese Publication of Patent Application No. 2001-354085.
In addition to the afore-mentioned power supply device, a power supply device including a semicircular arch-shaped guide rail, and a spherical slider fixed to a wiring harness and slidably guided along the guide rail is widely known. Refer to FIGS. 1 to 3 in Japanese Publication of Patent Application No. 2004-187375. The slider is positioned at the highest point of the guide rail, thereby allowing the extra length of the wiring harness to be leaded into the protector.
Meanwhile, in the case of using afore-mentioned power supply device 50 depicted in FIG. 6, since the power supply device has a configuration that the wiring harness 43 is upwardly energized by the flat spring 44 within the protector 42, the protector usually needs more space for receiving the extra length of the wiring harness. Further, due to the inner space of the harness winding section, the protector 42 size is largely increased.
Moreover, during the afore-mentioned power supply device disclosed in the Published Japanese Patent Application 2004-187375, since the spherical slider is positioned on the guide rail, the slider is free to move without any restriction. In cases where the wiring harness extends through the protector with the door fully open or closed, it is difficult to regulate the direction of the wiring harness to be drawn.
To solve the afore-mentioned drawbacks, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a power supply device which a) is intended for minimizing its size by efficiently utilizing the inner space of a protector and efficiently receiving a wiring harness within the protector, b) keeps the slider from rattling within the protector, and c) makes it possible to regulate the direction of the wiring harness to be drawn.